Caleb Nickerson
LUSKVILLE Aug. 13, 2017
A contingent from Epilepsy Outaouais made their way to the Pontiac on Sunday for a picnic at Ferme Lavender Ridge in Luskville. Though the event was originally scheduled for Saturday but was cancelled because of the spotty weather, a sizable group still came out for the rain date.
Epilepsy is a neurological condition characterized by seizures that affects roughly 140,000 Canadians.

Epilepsy Outaouais Director Matthieu Parisien explained that the organization provides various services and support groups to people living with the disorder and their families.
“When you’re diagnosed with epilepsy, it’s not easy to accept it so we have social events to get them out to meet other people that have epilepsy,” he said.
The annual picnic is the group’s biggest outing and has been held at Lavender Ridge all of its three years.
“We have 35 people that are supposed to come. It’s our biggest event of the year,” he said. “It’s open to the public as well as our members.”
Lavender Ridge owner Joanne Labadie explained that Parisien had approached her about hosting a picnic several years ago due to her support for the organization and the fact that lavender can help people with epilepsy deal with anxiety, a common side-effect of having seizures at random.
She explained that they provide food and wine for the group, as well as offer workshops with lavender products such as bath bombs.
“Lavender is a natural relaxant that relieves stress,” she said, adding that epilepsy has affected her family, which made the cause that much more meaningful.
Parisien said that these events also attempt to reduce the stigma around epilepsy through interaction with the general public.
“We’re just like normal people,” he said.